It has long been known to make fire hydrants with upper and lower barrel sections, the latter being buried and commonly connected to a shoe which contains the main hydrant valve operable by a stem extending upwardly through the barrel sections for connection with the usual operating nut at the top of the upper barrel section. The barrel sections are secured together with frangible coupling means and the stem is made in two sections connected together with a frangible or otherwise disengageable or bendable coupling means. Thus, if the hydrant is subjected to a lateral impact or blow, as being struck by a vehicle, the barrel sections' frangible coupling means breaks and likewise the stem coupling means breaks or gives way without, or with minimum, damage to the barrel sections and to the main valve which will remain closed. The hydrant is then easily repaired by replacing the coupling means for the barrel sections and the stem sections.
Examples of such hydrants are shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,017,600, 2,020,365 and 3,331,397, the disclosures of which are incorporated by reference herein.
The shoe or lower barrel section of a fire hydrant usually is almost completely buried in the ground both to avoid freezing of the water below the main valve and to minimize the damage thereto by a lateral impact on the upper barrel section. Even though the aforedescribed frangible coupling means minimizes damage to the lower barrel section by a lateral impact on the upper, it has in the past been the practice to block the lower barrel section, e.g. reinforce or compact the earth surrounding the lower barrel section, to even further lessen the possibility of damage to the lower barrel section by causing the frangible coupling means to break more readily on impact and thus lessen the forces transmitted to the lower barrel section from the upper. Of course, blocking involves expense.